Awake, for morning in the bowl of night has flung the stone that puts the stars to flight.

And, lo, has caught the sultan’s turret in a noose of light!

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable: Christopher Howse: ‘A Pilgrim in Spain’

Cosas de España

Politics: This is the week of the ‘doomed’ attempt by the PP to form a government. Here’s the left-of-centre Guardian on this, and here’s the right-of-centre Times. Or, if you prefer, the FT.

Or today’s VdG summary . . . Yesterday’s investiture session only departed from its script in that Sánchez avoided polemics around the amnesty, delegating to an ex-mayor his slot for responding to the PP leader. The same was done by the Sumar leader, who left it to the spokesperson of her parliamentary group to reply to him. For the rest, PP leader presented himself as “a reliable candidate”. He proposed the creation of a new crime of ‘constitutional disloyalty’ and tougher penalties for embezzlement. And he promised to lower personal income tax for middle and low incomes, and to apply zero VAT to meat, fish and tinned food. The PP will close the speeches of the parliamentary groups today before the vote, the first of this investiture, which will be by call and viva voce.

KIssgate: Saving a thousand words . . . One of the ‘nicer’ comments:-

I mentioned ‘peculiarly Spanish’ deaths the other day – gored men and old tractor drivers. Last night, I realised there might be another one – pedestrians killed on zebra crossings, with the majority possibly being old folk going too slow for young, fast drivers. The latest of these was here in Poio, on a new crossing that’s long been demanded by residents concerned by the risks involved in crossing a busy road. Sadly ironic.

There’s a tapas bar in Pv city’s Tapas Street which recently took over another bar 30-40 metres down the street. Although the space in between is flanked by residential properties, tables have been put there, giving the bar owners quite a continuous table-spread. When I asked a couple of other bar owners in the street whether these new tables were licensed, I was surprised to get the reply that not even the tables in front of the 2 merged bars were licensed.The added comment was that, so long as the residents didn’t formally complain, nothing would be done about this. Very pragmatic, I guess. If unlawful.

Another quote from Cees Noteboom’s Roads to Santiago: [Talking of when an old woman farted when he was with several folk being shown the Black Madonna/Virgen of Guadalupe*, and probably making a comment much less accurate 40 years on] It’s at such times that the differences between cultures become apparent. To the Spaniards in our group, for whom death, both their own and that of animals (and by extension the consumption of food and attendant bodily functions) is part of everyday life and therefore generally draws only fleeting attention, the incident is of no consequence. A brief smile on the peasant faces, a brief reprimand from the two daughters of the wind musician, a cloud of forgiveness around the heads of the Franciscans, that was all. But the only two representatives of less earthy races, the author of these words and an attractive English woman with reddish hair, had the misfortune of letting their eyes meet and could not stifle their laughter. Steadying ourselves on the jasper and marble balustrade with gold ornaments, we fled from the inner sanctum, because those who deny the presence of excrement and death in their daily lives by focusing on the benefits of counselling for the dying, on euphemisms and air fresheners, cannot be but capitulate in the face of such a demonstration of corporeality.

• From the Arabic Wada lubim. Hidden water.

The Way of the World

An interesting concept, albeit a revolutionary one these days: The young must learn to confront disagreeable ideas. But will they? Until they are older and wiser?

At least in some countries Anyone can be a hate criminal now.

Social Media

Big Tech must not be judge, jury and executioner – YouTube’s clampdown on Russell Brand is an affront to due process. Rationale here.

English

Some Scots English that might interest/amuse/educate.

Finally . . .

Every now and then I get an FB friend request from an attractive young female[I think] who says she’s following me. Oddly enough, the last 3 have all been called Smith. And the very latest comes, not very surprisingly, from Lagos in Nigeria. Not Lagos in South Portugal.

For new readers:– If you’ve landed here looking for info on Galicia or Pontevedra, try here. If you’re passing through Pontevedra on the Camino, you’ll find a guide to the city there – updated a bit in early July 2023.

For those thinking of moving to Spain:- This is an extremely comprehensive and accurate guide to the challenge, written by a Brit who lives in both the North and the South and who’s very involved in helping Camino walkers.